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He screams again and tapes her mouth shut once more.

"I need you to stay quiet, Marla, or I’ll end up killing you too soon.

And make no mistake—this time, I will kill you.

I’ll make sure you don’t leave here alive.

It’s the only way to get you out of my head and finally have some peace," he says, tapping his fingers against his temple.

I have no doubt now—he's completely insane.

"I’m going to tell you a story so you have something to think about on your way to hell," he says.

I can barely breathe from the tension, staying as still as I can, praying for Badger to arrive quickly.

I'm feeling drowsy and realize that my mom is the most sober among us; she hardly drank. In fact, I’m not even sure she had any champagne at all.

Now I know—he drugged us through the drink.

That’s why he was so eager last night, calling so late to check if we’d had some.

Going straight to bed must have frustrated his plans—maybe he intended to catch us in our rooms, even more vulnerable.

"Once upon a time . . .” he starts, then breaks into maniacal laughter, as if he wasn’t raging just moments ago.

"Fuck fairy tales. I’ll get straight to the point.

The first time I saw you, Marla, you were still very young—the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on. Of course, you weren’t good enough for me.

Poor, messy . . . but I knew that once I made you mine, I’d cover you in silk and gold.

You were working in some goddamn café," he narrates, shaking his head in disdain, and I glance at my mother.

She looks terrified—just like the rest of us—because we can all see now just how deep Morrison Seymour’s madness runs. If what he’s saying is true, he’s been obsessed with her since before I was even born.

"I asked you out. Me, Morrison Seymour—a billionaire from one of the most powerful families in the country. A master’s student, way above your reality, and you, my favorite little whore, smiled, thanked me, and said no .

Your exact words were: 'Thank you, sir, but I’m already engaged .

. . and pregnant.' Right then, I knew what it was to love and hate someone at the same time.

Pregnant! You were pregnant with someone else's baby—the ultimate betrayal. "

Even if we didn’t have our mouths taped shut, there would be no point trying to explain to him that my mother had been pregnant long before meeting him. He’s created his own twisted reality—and moved right in.

"I didn’t need to think twice about what had to be done: you, your baby"—he jerks his head toward me—"and your little fiancé needed to die. So I cut his brake lines and thought I had taken care of the problem."

Now all of us are crying—Brooklyn and Taylor too—as we grasp the extent of this man’s evil.

I can’t bring myself to look at my mother. I just hear her soft sobs, and deep inside, I swear: if I get the chance, I’ll kill Morrison.

"But you didn’t die, obviously—or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.

" He checks his watch. "Well, I’d better hurry before someone ruins my plans. To make a long story short: years later, I returned to college for a refresher course, and guess what? You weren’t just alive—you were working in a goddamn ice cream parlor.

I still hated you, so I set the place on fire, thinking that would be the end of you.

But you, Marla . . . you’re like a fucking horror movie villain—you just keep coming back to haunt me.

" No one is crying anymore now. I think we’re all realizing the same thing: this man isn’t just evil—he’s completely unhinged.

"I heard you were saved, of course. But unlike the car sabotage, there was a huge investigation around the fire, so I decided to lay low for a while.

And then—you disappeared. It took me years to find you again here in Cape Cod.

I bought this house and waited. I planned everything carefully—and I gave Mrs. DeCarlo a little 'nudge' at the top of the stairs, if you know what I mean.

" He laughs, as if confessing to murder were nothing at all.

Morrison gets up—without even the slightest limp now—and goes to a cabinet to retrieve something.

A gas can.

I widen my eyes in fear, but his attention is still locked on my mother.

"I paid Anilla to say she saw you push the old lady. Then, once she outlived her usefulness, I got rid of her too. I never imagined that when I lent this house to my cousin, he would fall for the daughter of your damn fiancé. LJ ruined everything. I had already plotted a way to destroy my perfect cousin's life. I grew to hate him—and his business partners too—for saving you from the fire. From the very beginning of their relationship, I kept fucking Jodie behind Lazarus’s back. I enjoyed taking what was his without my arrogant cousin even suspecting a thing. I got that crazy bitch pregnant, thinking it would force him to marry her. He would’ve lived a miserable life, being cheated on throughout the whole marriage, because I had no intention of stopping fucking her.

" He pauses, letting go of the gas can, kneeling in front of my mom.

"Don't be jealous, Marla. You’ll always be the only one in my heart. "

He stands again, opening the gas can—its strong smell making it clear it’s full of fuel.

"Anyway, we all know how it ended. The crazy bitch lost her mind, threatened to tell LJ everything unless I helped her get him back—because believe it or not, she fell for the bastard even after spending their whole relationship riding my cock. "

He shrugs. "Of course, I didn’t count on her throwing the car in front of a truck.

I might not be here for you today if she hadn’t been so stupid, my Marla, but I’m strong—I survived the coma.

Lost my memory for a while . . . until it all came rushing back.

When I found out LJ helped clear the charges, I decided to change the rules of the game—to punish him even harder.

I spun a pretty little story about how Jodie had been a vindictive slut—and that he should go back to her ," he says, nodding at me.

"And so, here we are. Not exactly the way I planned it—I wanted everyone gathered: the three bastard surgeons included.

Oh, and your new fiancé too. I would have roasted the whole flock at once," he adds, beginning to pour fuel all over the floor.

I spot movement behind him and silently pray in relief when I see it’s Badger.

Morrison is so smug, so convinced he’s finally about to accomplish all his wicked plans, that he doesn’t even notice.

"But you know what they say: you can't always get what you want. I’ll have to settle for the three bastards spending the rest of their lives mourning the ones they couldn’t save."

My heart pounds as I see Badger raise a baseball bat and, just before striking, he says, "The others are on their way, buddy. But I’ve never been a patient man, so let’s get this party started."

The blow to Morrison’s head knocks him out instantly, and finally, I let out the scream that's been trapped in my chest.

Lazarus

"What are you telling me, Odin?" Athanasios asks the Greek man, seated in our hospital’s conference room.

The three of us were about to head to Cape Cod when he sent a message saying he had something important to share—something he’d discovered about the lab results swap years ago.

"It took me a while to trace the lead," he says, shaking his head from side to side, like he still can’t believe he missed something like that. "At first, I assumed it was someone from my field. The hacker, I mean."

"And it wasn’t?" William asks.

"Well, sort of. It’s someone with the same background I have but who never actually worked in the field. Maybe because they never had to."

I can hear the contempt in his voice. None of the four of us have to work. We have enough money in the bank to live comfortably through several lifetimes. It’s not about financial need—it’s about leaving a mark on the world.

Still, something about what he’s saying is bothering me, though I can’t quite pinpoint what it is. "Are you telling me a millionaire with a degree in information technology set us up?" I ask.

" 'Degree' is putting it mildly—he earned a doctorate.

I keep wondering why someone who went that far in his university journey never actually got a job.

The only answer I can come up with is: vanity.

An insecure man who needed to prove to himself that he could do it, even if he never entered the job market. Someone very close to you."

Now there’s no doubt. I shoot to my feet. I’m not an idiot.

"Morrison? You’re telling me my cousin is behind all of this?"

"Yes. That’s exactly what I’m telling you."

I’m already moving toward the door, pulling out my phone as I go. I’m vaguely aware that William and Athanasios are right behind me.

If what Odin just said is true, I need to find out what the hell is going on.